This invention relates to a recording medium for an ink-jet printer used in the medical field such as a diagnosis by X-ray image or in the industrial field such as non-destructive inspection of shipbuilding and piping.
For example, in the field of medicine, digital image data of a simple radiographic image obtained by computed radiography or flat panel X-ray detector is imaged on a CRT display or a film after processing to applied for a conference of diagnosis or planning of a surgical operation and a medical education. This invention relates to a recording medium for an ink-jet printer to be used for imaging the medical image.
From 100 years ago, the discovery of X-ray, a screen-film system or SF system composed of a combination of an intensifying screen and a film has been used for forming a radiographic image. A high running cost of the SF system cannot be ignore in the light of recently medical cost increasing since an expensive silver halide light-sensitive film and a processing chemicals for processing the film are used in the system.
Recently, a system for outputting a radiographic image in a form of digital electric signals such as the signals of a computed radiography (CR) and that generated by a flat panel X-ray detector (FPD) are proposed in the field of radiography in place of the SF system. In such the systems, a radiographic image can be rapidly imaged on a CRT display since no radiographic film is used and any complex process such as developing treatment is not necessary. However, the CRT display has problems such as that the density range of image is limited and the light emission intensity is considerably lowered in an using period of less than one year. Accordingly, a hard copy of radiographic image is required when the image is inspected in detail or used for a conference.
A method is utilized for obtaining such the hard copy, by which the electric signals of a radiographic image generated by CR or FDP are converted to the intensity of laser light beam and the image is printed by the light beam on a silver halide photographic film, and the film is processed. This method, however, is complex and requires a expensive cost since the silver halide photographic film is used as the same as in the usual SF system. A thermal transfer system and a sublimation type printer are usable as the method without use of the silver halide photographic film. However, in the thermal transfer system has a problem such that the ink image tends to peeled off since the ink is adhered on the most upper surface of the film. In the case of sublimation printer, sufficient image density cannot be obtained and rubbish such as an used ink ribbon is made.
The object of the invention is to solve the foregoing problems caused by the use of an ink-jet printer for forming a medical image, and to provide a recording medium for an ink-jet printing capable of forming a medical image which is low in the cast and easy to observe.
The other object of the invention is to provide an ink jet recording medium which is preferably employed in forming a medical image, in particular, radiographic image.
The medical images include a radiographic image, a ultrasonic image, a retinal image, an endscopic image, an MRI image and so on in the present invention. The invention is preferably applied to a radiographic image.
The invention is described below.
1. A recording medium for an ink-jet printer comprising an ink-absorbing layer which has ability of absorbing ink, wherein turbidity of the recording medium is not less than 10% and less than 90%.
2. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 1 wherein the ink-absorbing layer is an ink-absorbing layer having void.
3. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 1 wherein the ink-absorbing layer is an ink-absorbing layer is a void type.
4. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 2 wherein the ink-absorbing layer has ability of absorbing ink for an ink jet printer.
5. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 2 wherein transmittance of the recording medium is less than 70% and not less than 35%.
6. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 4 wherein the ink-absorbing layer has ability of absorbing ink in a liquid state at ordinary temperature.
7. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 2 wherein the recording medium further comprises a support and the ink-absorbing layer is provided on the support.
8. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 7 wherein the support absorbs blue region wavelength light.
9. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 1 wherein the recording medium absorbs blue region wavelength light.
10. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 7 wherein the support contains blue tinted resin.
11. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 7 wherein thickness of the support is not less than 75 xcexcm and not more than 250 xcexcm.
12. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 1 wherein the recording medium comprises a support containing a blue tinted resin and having a thickness of from 75 xcexcm to 250 xcexcm, and at least one of the ink-absorbing layer provided on at least one side of the support, on which a substantially monochromatic image to be formed with inks in a liquid state at the ordinary temperature.
13. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 7 wherein the ink-absorbing layers are provided on both sides of the support.
14. The recording medium for an ink-jet printer of claim 12 wherein the recording medium is a sheet form and four corners of the sheet are rounded, and a mark for distinguish front and back of the sheet is formed on the sheet.
15. A recording medium for an ink-jet printer comprising an ink-absorbing layer which has ability of absorbing ink, wherein transmittance of the recording medium is less than 70% and not less than 35%.
16. An image forming method comprising a step of jetting ink in accordance with image data on a recording medium for an ink-jet printer, the recording medium comprising an ink-absorbing layer and having turbidity of not less than 10% and less than 90%, whereby an image is formed.
17. The image forming method of claim 16 wherein transmittance of the recording medium is less than 70% and not less than 35%.
18. The image forming method of claim 16 wherein the step of jetting ink is jetting ink in accordance with image data concerning with medical image.
19. The image forming method of claim 18 wherein transmittance of the recording medium is less than 70% and not less than 35%.
20. The image forming method of claim 17 wherein the step of jetting ink is conducted by jetting ink on a recording medium for an ink-jet printer comprising a support containing blue tinted resin.
21. The image forming method of claim 16 wherein the ink-absorbing layer is an ink-absorbing layer having void.
22. The image forming method of claim 16 wherein the ink-absorbing layer is an ink-absorbing layer is a void type.
23. An image forming method comprising a step of jetting ink in accordance with image data on a recording medium for an ink-jet printer which recording medium has transmittance of less than 70% and not less than 35%.
24. A recording medium for an ink-jet printer comprising an ink-absorbing layer having void which has a turbidity of from not less than 10% to less than 90%.
In the invention 24, the turbidity is a ratio of scattered light to straight permeated light. When the turbidity is exceeds a certain value, the dazzlement is relieved. Besides an excessively high turbidity causes difficulty of the observation since the straight permeated light is excessively attenuated. Accordingly, a easily observable image as bright as possible and without dazzlement can be obtained when the turbidity of the ink-absorbing layer having void is within the range of from not less than 10% to less than 90%.
25. A recording medium for ink-jet printer comprising an ink-absorbing layer having void having a transmittance of less than 70% and not less than 35%.
In the invention 25, the transmittance is a intensity of light straight permeated through the layer. The image is difficultly observable when the transmittance is lowered, and the image is difficultly observable by dazzlement when the light transmittance is too high. Accordingly, a easily observable image as bright as possible and without dazzlement can be obtained when the turbidity of the ink-absorbing layer having void is within the range of from less than 70% to not less than 35%.
26. A recording medium for ink-jet printer comprising an ink-absorbing layer having void having a turbidity of from not less than 10% to less than 90% and a transmittance of from less than 70% to not less than 35%.
According to the invention 26, a easily observable image as bright as possible and without dazzlement can be obtained when the ink-absorbing layer having void has a turbidity and transmittance each selected from the range of from not less than 10% to less than 90% and a transmittance of from less than 70% to not less than 35%.
27. A recording medium for an ink-jet printer of 24 to 26 comprising a support which comprises a blue tinted resin and has a thickness of from 75 xcexcm to 250 xcexcm, and an ink-absorbing layer provided on a side of the support, on which a substantially monochromatic image to be formed with inks in a liquid state at the ordinary temperature.
According to the invention, a monochromatic image can be obtained which can be easily observed when the image is inspeced on a viewer by permeated light.
28. The recording medium of 27 is a sheet form and the four corners of the sheet are rounded, and a mark for distinguish the front and back of the sheet is formed on the sheet.
According to the invention, the recording medium is easy handled since the rounded corner reduces the possibility of injuring a person handling the sheet and the front and back of the medium can be distinguished at the first sight by the mark image so as to be free from the complicated operation.